Comparing adult mathematical literacy with PISA students: results of a pilot study

In Germany, very little empirical data about the mathematical competence of adults is available. The aim of this study is to test the level of mathematical competence in an adult sample. For this purpose, a mathematics test was constructed using the PISA mathematics framework as a guideline. The test consisted of fourteen public items from the mathematics test in PISA 2000. The study was implemented by carrying out house visits (Germany). The sample was comprised of 64 adults (90% women, age: 41 years). The test results were scaled in the metric of PISA 2000. Compared with the average German student competencies in PISA 2000, the average competency in the adult sample was on the same level as the fifteen-year-old comprehensive secondary school student (at a German Gymnasium). Further analysis shows that the mathematics competency level in the adult sample is positively connected to the individual vocational education degree.     

Effects of chemical, physical, and technological processes on the nature of food allergens

A review is presented of studies of different processing techniques and their effect on the allergenicity and antigenicity of certain allergenic foods. An overview of investigated technologies is given with regard to their impact on the protein structure and their potential application in the production of hypoallergenic foods. The use of physical processes (such as heating, high pressure, microparticulation, ultrafiltration, and irradiation), chemical processes (such as proteolysis, fermentation, and refining by extraction), and biotechnological approaches, as well as the effects of these processes on individual allergenic foods, are included. Additionally, the implications of food processing for food allergen analysis with respect to food safety assessment and industrial quality control are briefly discussed.     

Synthesis of pyrimidines from 3-trifluoromethylsulfonyl-oxypropeniminium triflates and nitriles; molecular and crystal structure of the 1:1 and 1:2 Adducts of a 4-(2-diethylaminovinyl)pyrimidine with triflic acid

The 3-trifluoromethylsulfonyloxy-1-hexeniminium triflate 1 reacts with two equivalents of an aliphatic nitrile or of benzonitrile to give the 4-(2-diethylaminovinyl)pyrimidinediium bis(triflates) 4 , which can be deprotonated to give the monoprotonated or neutral pyrimidines 5 and 6 , respectively. When the related 1-phenyl-substituted iminium salt 7 is heated in acetonitrile at 140°, 1,5-cyclization of the cation leading to indane derivative 8 competes with formation of the pyrimidinium salt 9 . X-ray crystal structure determination reveals significant differences in the bond lengths of mono-and diprotonated 4-(2-diethylaminovinyl)pyrimidines 5a and 4a .     

ansa-Metallocene derivatives XXXIII. 2-Dimethylamino-substituted bis-indenyl zirconium dichloride complexes with and without a dimethylsilyl bridge: syntheses, crystal structures and properties in propene polymerization catalysis

Bis(2-N,N-dimethylamino-indenyl) zirconium dichloride, (2-(CH₃)₂N-C₉H₆)₂ZrCl₂, and dimethylsilyl-bridged bis(2-N,N-dimethylamino-indenyl) zirconium dichloride, (CH₃)₂Si(2-(CH₃)₂N-C₉H₅)₂ZrCl₂, were prepared by reaction of the corresponding ligand lithium salts with ZrCl₄ in toluene. Diffractometric structure determinations reveal C₂-symmetric complex geometries for both complexes. An increased electron density at the Zr center of the dimethylamino-substituted complexes is indicated by reduction potentials which are 0.3–0.4 V more negative than those of their unsubstituted analogs. When activated with methyl aluminoxane in toluene solution, (CH₃)₂Si(2-(CH₃)₂N-C₉H₅)₂ZrCl₂ catalyzes the polymerization of propene to polymers with a microstructure comparable with that of polymers produced with other Me₂Si-bridged bis(indenyl)ZrCl₂ complexes, but with a substantially increased fraction of i-propyl end groups derived from alkyl exchange between Zr-polymer and Al---Me species.     

Ternäre Lithium-Selten-Erd-Nitrate mit einsamen Nitrationen: Li3[M(NO3)5](NO3) (M = Gd?Lu,Y). Die Kristallstruktur von Li3Er(NO3)6

Ternary Lithium Rare Earth Nitrates with Lonesome Nitrate Ions: Li₃[M(NO₃)₅](NO₃) (M = Gd? Lu, Y). The Crystal Structure of Li₃Er(NO₃)₆ Single crystals of the ternary nitrate Li₃Er(NO₃)₆ are obtained from a solution of “Er(NO₃)₃” in the melt of LiNO₃. In Li₃Er(NO₃)₆ (monoclinic, P2₁/n, Z = 4; a = 776.0(1); b = 748.86(8); c = 2 396(1) pm; β = 90.76(3)°; R1 = 0.0490; wR2 = 0.0792), Er³⁺ is surrounded by five bidentate nitrate ligands yielding the anionic units [Er(NO₃)₅]^2?. These are arranged in the direction of the 2₁ screw axis. Two lonesome NO₃^? ions are in the middle of such a “helix” and are connected by Li⁺ with the anions [Er(NO₃)₅]^2?. The helices are moved against each other by about half of the lattice constant a and are connected by further Li⁺ ions.     

Relating atomic energy,radius and electronegativity through compression

Trends in atomic properties are well-established tools for guiding the analysis and discovery of materials. Here, we show how compression can reveal a long sought-after connection between two central chemical concepts – van-der-Waals (vdW) radii and electronegativity – and how these relate to the driving forces behind chemical and physical transformations.

Compression is used to derive a long sought-after connection between two central chemical concepts – van-der-Waals (vdW) radii and electronegativity – and how these relate to the driving forces behind chemical and physical transformations.     

Chiral ditopic receptors. Application to palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylation

Chiral pyridinooxazoline, quinolinooxazoline, bis(oxazolino)pyridine (pybox), and bisoxazoline (box) derivatives containing crown ether residues were prepared. Some of the ligands were assessed in substrate binding studies and in palladium catalyzed allylic alkylations.     

Synthesis and Characterisation of the Sodium and Lithium Cryptates of Macrobicyclic Ligands incorporating pyridine,bipyridine, and biisoquinoline units

Sythetic procedures have been deweloped for the preparation of sodium and lithium cryptates of the macrabicyclic ligands 1–11 containing pyridine, bipyridine, and biisoquinoline groups. They involve stepwise construction of the bicyclic system as will as direct macrobicyclisation procedures (Scheme 1) and give access to both symmetrical and dissymmetrical structures. Marked cation template effects have been found that facilitate the cyclisation processes. The ligands 1–11 were isolated as their cryptates with Na⁺ or Li⁺ cations.     

Modulating charge-transfer interactions in topologically different porphyrin-C60 dyads

Control over the interchromophore separation, their angular relationship, and the spatial overlap of their electronic clouds in several ZnP-C(60) dyads (ZnP=zinc porphyrin) is used to modulate the rates of intramolecular electron transfer. For the first time, a detailed analysis of the charge transfer absorption and emission spectra, time-dependent spectroscopic measurements, and molecular dynamics simulations prove quantitatively that the same two moieties can produce widely different electron-transfer regimes. This investigation also shows that the combination of ZnP and C(60) consistently produces charge recombination in the inverted Marcus region, with reorganization energies that are remarkably low, regardless of the solvent polarity. The time constants of electron transfer range from the mus to the ps regime, the electronic couplings from a few tens to several hundreds of cm(-1), and the reorganization energies remain below 0.54 eV and can be as low as 0.16 eV.